Match Report: England 2-2 Belgium
- I. Toney (17′PEN)
- J. Bellingham (95′)
- J. Gomez (67′)
- J. Maddison (91′)
- Y. Tielemans (11′) (36′)
- M. Batshuayi (95′)
Highlights: England 2-2 Belgium
Jude Bellingham's last-gasp goal salvaged England a 2-2 draw against Belgium at Wembley Stadium
Jude Bellingham scores late on to salvage a draw as Ivan Toney nets his first England goal
England v Belgium
Alzheimer's Society International
7.45pm GMT, Tuesday 26 March 2024
Wembley Stadium connected by EE
Gareth Southgate and Declan Rice – who will captain England on Tuesday night – sat down with the media to look ahead to the Alzheimer's Society International against Belgium.
You can watch the full press conference below and here we have picked out a selection of their comments.
Are Jordan Henderson, Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham able to play 90 minutes against Belgium?
Southgate: “Hendo probably not, Cole is back in training so that is possible, and with Jude, yeah absolutely.
“Jude had cramps the other day. He's missed quite a bit of football recently so actually, he is ready for games.”
Is anybody else struggling?
Southgate: “No. Everybody else has come through training as far as I know.”
With Ollie Watkins starting on Saturday against Brazil, is Ivan Toney going to be involved against Belgium?
Southgate: “Yes, Ivan will be involved in the game for sure.
“I have to say, with everything that's happened [with injuries and withdrawals], the original idea or plan for the week is a little bit different in that we're probably finding out about more players, but that is also really helpful.
“It is good to see all of those players against high-level opposition and it will help us to make better decisions moving forward.”
Who will captain England against Brazil?
Southgate: “It will be this man here, Declan. It is his 50th cap, he has great leadership experience already at a tender age and I think it's a brilliant opportunity for some of our young players now to show leadership and to experience that because some of our core group – Trippier, Walker, Maguire – are not with us.
“So [there will be] a different feel about the group, a different dynamic, and it is a great opportunity for other people to step up, to lead and to grow.
“That is important because a lot of the players involved with the squad now are the future of the team for the mid and long-term, and the more of those experiences they can have, it is really helpful for everybody.”
Out for his first training session with the #ThreeLions.
— England (@England) March 25, 2024
🙌 @Jamestrafford6 pic.twitter.com/AHArceTsqW
Declan, how will it feel to walk out at Wembley as captain?
Rice: “I am speechless to be honest with you; absolutely lost for words.
“When Gareth said to me last night I was going to be captain, I gave him a hug, shook his hand and said thank you very much.
“I owe him a lot since I first came into the team. He's always made me feel at home, I've always felt so comfortable playing under him and I have really grown in confidence.
“So on my 50th cap to walk out at Wembley in front of my family and my friends, it is an absolute honour.
“I think you can see by my face that I am a bit speechless, to be honest with you.”
What has the journey been like and how important is England to you?
Rice: “So important. I think I've grown so much as a player and as a person since I first come into the group at 19.
“I was probably a little bit of a nervous player when I first came into the England squad. But as time has gone on and I've played more Premier League games, more games at higher levels, and big major tournaments, I think I've grown in stature in this side.
“I've enjoyed every single moment of it. Fifty caps is a pinch-me moment. It's going to be an honour tomorrow night and I'm really looking forward to it.”
With it being the Alzheimer’s Society International, what does your partnership with the charity mean to you?
Southgate: “Sadly it is probably a charity and something that we are all going to have to deal with when it comes to our family and friends. It is an increasing reality of life that Alzheimer's and dementia are going to affect us all in one way or another.
“So, it's been great for us to be able to raise awareness of the charity and I know lots of families who have benefited from [the charity’s support] and who've had some really difficult experiences looking after their loved ones.
“You can't begin to imagine how much energy, how much emotion, and how much time it takes to look after your family in those situations. So yes, we're really pleased to be able to raise that awareness.”
When Kobbie Mainoo became our latest lion... 🦁
— England (@England) March 25, 2024
Go behind the scenes at @wembleystadium from Saturday night 👇
Is it important that the fans stay with this young team and keep the bigger picture in mind?
Southgate: “I think they did [against Brazil]. Watching the game back, on 75 minutes or so, the national anthem was being sung and I think people in the stadium recognised we had young players coming onto the pitch.
“We were still playing really well and we were actually comfortable in the game, in control of the game, and then one devastating counter-attack changed all of that feeling.
“So, what we've had to say with the team is to look at all the aspects of the game where we did really well, and there were a lot, but of course, in that final third, we didn't produce that moment of quality: the final pass, the final cross, the finish and ultimately that's where you win matches.
“Against the very best, you're not going to get a lot of chances. You might get four or five shots on goal in one of those really big games. So you have to be clinical in those moments at both ends of the pitch.”
Join our official England WhatsApp channel to receive exclusive updates from camp. Sign up for England updates here or join our Lionesses WhatsApp channel here.Belgium in profile
Nickname: The Red Devils
Coach: Domenico Tadesco
Captain: Kevin de Bruyne
Match Stats
● Belgium have lost six of their seven away games against England (D1), with this their first visit since losing 2-1 in the UEFA Nations League in October 2020.
● England lost 1-0 against Brazil last time out, ending a 20-game unbeaten run at Wembley Stadium in all competitions. They last lost consecutive matches at the national stadium in November 2013 (versus Chile and Germany).
● Belgium are unbeaten in their last 12 games in all competitions (W8 D4), since a 2-0 defeat to Morocco in the 2022 World Cup.
● England’s defeat against Brazil last time out ended a 12-game winning run for the Three Lions in friendly matches; they last lost consecutive such games in March/June 2017 (v Germany and France).
● Belgium have kept six clean sheets in their last eight games in all competitions, including each of the last three in a row. They last recorded more consecutive shutouts between March and October 2019 (Seven).
● On his international debut against Brazil last time out, Anthony Gordon had more shots (four), more shots on target (two) and more touches in the opposition box (nine) than any other England player.
● Youri Tielemans scored Leicester’s winner in the 2021 FA Cup Final, while Leandro Trossard scored for Arsenal in the 2023 Community Shield – meaning either could become the first Belgian player to score a club goal and an international goal at Wembley Stadium.
From the archive: England 2-1 Belgium
See the best of the action from our last meeting at Wembley back in 2020
Head to head
The Three Lions have played Belgium at men's senior level on 25 occasions, registering 16 wins, drawing four and losing five times. The first meeting came in May 1921 when the nations met in an international in Brussels which England won 2-0 thanks to goals from Charles Buchan and Harry Chambers.
Last three meetings v Belgium
Belgium 2-0 England, UEFA Nations League, 15 November 2020
First-half goals from Youri Tielemans and Dries Mertens proved enough to settle this encounter at Den Dreef in Leuven to bring an end to the group stage of the 2020 UEFA Nations League.
England 2-1 Belgium, UEFA Nations League, 11 October 2020
There were no supporters present during this Nations League clash at Wembley Stadium, as England came from behind to secure victory over Roberto Martinez's side. Romelu Lukaku put Belgium ahead only for Marcus Rashford to level things up. It was Mason Mount who notched a second-half winner to seal a memorable win.
Belgium 2-0 England, FIFA World Cup 2018 third place game, 14 July 2018
This was the second meeting of the nations at the World Cup in Russia, following a group stage match which was also edged by the Belgians. After both teams lost their semi-finals, this meeting in St Petersburg was settled by a first-half goal from Thomas Meunier before Eden Hazard doubled the advantage with a late second.
From the archive: England 1-0 Belgium
Pitchside highlights from our meeting with the Red Devils back in 2012, ahead of UEFA EURO 2012
England Squad News
Ticket Information
How to watch or stream
This game will be shown live on Channel 4 in the UK.
Gareth Southgate has made five changes to his England side to face Belgium at Wembley Stadium connected by EE.
Ezri Konza, Lewis Dunk, Kobbie Mainoo, Jarrod Bowen and Ivan Toney all come into the starting XI following Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Brazil.
Tonight's #ThreeLions! 👊 pic.twitter.com/Mxd6uHic5m
— England (@England) March 26, 2024
Jude Bellingham's last-gasp goal salvaged England a 2-2 draw against Belgium at Wembley Stadium connected by EE.
Youri Tielemans opened the scoring early in the first half before Ivan Toney levelled quickly from the penalty spot for his first Three Lions goal.
Tielemans, who scored a Wembley winner in the 2021 FA Cup final, restored Belgium’s lead nine minutes before half-time with a far-post header.
England came close to an equaliser on several occasions and finally rescued a draw deep into stoppage time when Bellingham drilled home.
Gareth Southgate made five changes from Saturday’s defeat to Brazil, handing three players their first England starts and it was one of those newcomers who was on the end of the game’s first chance.
Jarrod Bowen’s surging run down the right culminated with a fizzed waist-height cross for Toney, who lost his marker but could only volley into his arm.
Then, in the space of two minutes, England lost John Stones through injury before Belgium scored an opportunistic opener.
Jordan Pickford’s clearance was intercepted by Everton team-mate Amadou Onana, whose lay off was stroked in first time by Tielemans into the corner Pickford had vacated as he raced across his goal.
England rallied well and were awarded a penalty when Toney was caught by Jan Vertonghen’s desperate lunge.
The Brentford striker had to wait for the conclusion of a lengthy VAR check but showed no sign of any nerves, calmly wrong-footing Matz Sels to draw England level.
The Three Lions were well in the ascendancy but there was one scare at the other end as Pickford got down well to parry clear a whipped low shot from Jeremy Doku.
Still within a lively first half hour, Red Devils defender Zeno Debast nearly sliced into his own goal and from the resulting corner England thought they had the lead.
Bowen found the net with a flicked header but the West Ham forward was found to have just strayed offside after another early VAR check.
Bellingham was next to go close, blazing over after some indecision among the Belgian rearguard before the visitors struck to devastating effect on the counter.
Tielemans’ long ball found Romelu Lukaku and he produced a sublime cross with the outside of his foot to pick out Tielemans stooping at the far post, leaving Pickford with no chance.
Bellingham and Bowen both tested Sels before the break but Belgium held out for a half-time lead.
The second half started like the first with the best early chance falling to Toney but his near post shot was tipped wide by Sels.
Phil Foden then saw a shot blocked before Bellingham miscued a header wide from Joe Gomez’s clipped cross.
Tielemans and Doku were causing problems on the break and combined before a teasing ball across the face of goal somehow evaded Lukaku.
England kept pushing and Mainoo thundered onto a loose ball from the top of the box but was denied by the advancing Sels.
Bowen then beat two defenders and played Foden in on the angle but he fired his shot agonisingly wide.
But with the last attack of the game, substitute James Maddison played a pinpoint cut-back into the path of Bellingham and he slotted cooly into the bottom right corner to earn England a deserved draw with one of the last kicks of the game.
England: 1. Jordan Pickford (Everton), 2. Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), 3. Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), 4. Declan Rice (Arsenal), 5. John Stones (Manchester City), 6. Lewis Dunk (Brighton & Hove Albion), 7. Phil Foden (Manchester City), 10. Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), 17. Ivan Toney (Brentford), 18. Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), 21. Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
Substitutes: 12. Joe Gomez (Liverpool) for Stones 10’, 20. James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur) for Mainoo 74’, 9. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) for Toney 80’, 11. Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United) for Bowen 80’
Substitutes not used: 8. Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), 13. Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal), 14. Jordan Henderson (Ajax), 15. Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), 16. Rico Lewis (Manchester City), 19. Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), 23. Cole Palmer (Manchester City)
Goals: Toney 17’ (pen), Bellingham 90+4'
Bookings: Gomez 67’
Belgium: 13. Matz Sels, 2. Zeno Debast, 3. Arthur Theate, 5. Jan Vertonghen, 6. Amadou Onana, 7. Jeremy Doku, 8. Youri Tielemans, 10. Romelu Lukaku, 11. Leandro Trossard, 18. Orel Mangala, 21. Timothy Castagne
Substitutes: 14. Dodi Lukebakio for Trossard 60’, 22. Aster Vranckx for Theate 71’, 15. Thomas Meunier for Tielemans 71’, 9. Lois Openda for Mangala 82’, 23. Michy Batshuayi for Lukaku 82’, 4. Wout Faes for Debast 82’
Substitutes not used: 12. Thomas Kaminski, 25. Aranud Bodart, 16. Oliver Deman, 19. Johan Bakayoko, 20. Arthur Vermeeren, 24. Koni De Winter
Goals: Tielemans 11’, 36’
Bookings: Batshuayi 90+3'
